You Can Beat The French!
by coffeeandcupcakes
Summary: Ginny rose from her place at the kitchen, grabbing her wand in the process. She was worried, now. This wasn't normal behaviour." It's the morning of Ginny's first international game in four years, her own England against France, and those cheeky green-eye


Nous Allons Battre le Français

buVous Pouvez Battre le Français!/b/u

_**--**_

_i'And anyone who's anyone is excited about today's England vs. France match, held in the new England stadium in London. It's sure to be a cracker of a game, with new Seeker Maria Tatuto debuting for the French. It's also a new day for England, with their award-winning Chaser Ginny Potter back for her first international game with England since taking a break four years ago to have her children. But now she's back, and if she was still on the form she was four years ago, England should have this game in the bag. We at WWN know who we're cheering for! Go England! Anyway, the game kicks off today at 1:00pm at Wembley Quidditch Stadium, which was specially unveiled for the match …'/i_

Ginny Potter turned the wireless off, laying her head on her hands. It was indeed her first international game in four years, and to say that she was nervous would be a terrific understatement. Harry had had to resort to putting a Dreamless Sleep Potion in her drink as she was still up at eleven o'clock, despite having been told firmly but lovingly by Harry to go to bed at nine.

It was eight o'clock in the morning, and there was something deeply wrong with the Potter household. Usually by around seven (or half six, if they had went to bed early) the kids would be up and running around by now, shouting and screaming at the top of their voices, usually at each other.

And, in that note, her husband should be up as well. Harry was always an early riser, and he was the one that was usually up with the kids. It was always the same; whenever Ron, Hermione and Rose stayed overnight (either at the Potter's or at their house – it was more often than not the Potters, but it was at least once a week, whatever the house) it was Ron and Harry that were up and about with the children, fixing breakfast for all seven of them, while Ginny and Hermione slept on. It seems like getting up early for Quidditch benefitted the two men.

Ginny rose from her place in the kitchen, grabbing her wand in the process. She was worried, now. This wasn't normal behaviour.

She proceeded up the stairs, her wand in front of her. She lowered it slightly as she heard her daughter's voice drift from Harry and Ginny's bedroom door, swiftly followed by her son's.

"I don't know if this is a good idea, Jamie."

"It is," Ginny and Harry's son, James, sounded a lot more confident at whatever he and his sister were doing. '_Why are they in our bedroom anyway_?' Ginny wondered, but her daughter's voice cut over this thought.

"But what if –"

"Stop being a worrywart, Lily," Jamie's voice was firm.

"It'll be ok, Lily," That was one voice that Ginny wasn't expecting to hear as her husband's voice floated through the door after Jamie's. Harry's voice was consoling and comforting.

Ginny smiled, and then knocked on the door, curious at to what her husband and their twins were doing.

"Ok, guys. What's up?" she asked, and the door was pulled open a fraction and her son's messy red hair popped out, his emerald eyes glancing up to his mother.

"Hello. Don't come in, Mummy, its private!" Jamie said, smiling, showing off rows of pearly-white baby teeth.

"Why is it private?" Ginny asked, sitting down so she was eye-level with one of her four-year-olds.

"'Coz Daddy said so!" he chimed, withdrawing his head as another equally messy but black coloured head replaced it.

"Hey, Gin," Her husband grinned at her, making her heart melt.

"Hey yourself," She said, from her sitting position in the floor. She nodded towards the room. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Harry said, too quickly. "Honestly. We're having a Potter family discussion," he said, backtracking.

"I'm a Potter too, in case you haven't noticed," Ginny said, pointing to her wedding ring.

"Yeah …" Harry said, dragging it out, before saying, "Potters with green eyes only," he said, lamely. "Sorry, Gin,"

"That's got to be the lamest excuse I've heard ever, Potter."

"Sorry," Harry didn't look sorry in the least. "We'll be downstairs in five minutes. Honestly," He said, nodding towards the staircase. "Go psyche yourself. You have a big game today," he said.

"I know, I know," she held in her hands in defeat, and stood up. "You guys better be down in five minutes. I'm going to make a start on breakfast. Hopefully they'll eat it this time," she said, remembering the last time when James and Lily refused to eat their Mummy's breakfast because it wasn't as good as their Daddy's.

Harry laughed. "I'm sure they will," he said, giving her a kiss before closing the door, and Ginny heard the definite '_whoosh_' of a silencing spell being cast.

She sighed, shaking her head at the three. Sometimes, it was like having three kids. Others, her own mother had told her repeatedly, it was like the whole family were just a bunch of kids. Sometimes she'd pretend to be annoyed at it but in reality, Ginny would have it no other way.

She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, her coffee cup still there from before. She banished it to the sink before getting to work on preparing breakfast. Knowing that the kids wouldn't eat anything else before going to see their Mummy at a game, she set to work preparing eggs for them.

She tried to do the same as Harry taught her, and it took three tries before she got it vaguely right. They looked, tasted and smelt the same as Harry's, so hopefully the kids would eat them without any other thought.

She heard a door opening above, and then heavy footfalls as her husband came down the stairs, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Come on, Gin," he said, pulling her up from the kitchen table.

"But the eggs…" Ginny trailed off; gazing at the eggs she'd worked so hard on. They'd be stone cold soon.

Harry saw this look, and cast a warming charm on them. Ginny grinned at him and gave him a kiss. "Thanks. I've worked hard on them," she said.

"They're only eggs!" Harry exclaimed, laughing. "You shouldn't have. You should be resting," He said, kissing her nose.

"I know, I know," Ginny grimaced.

"Anyway," Harry said. "Come with me," He led her up the stairs and to the landing outside their bedroom, where he placed his hands in front of her eyes.

"Harry? What's going on?" Ginny was confused and puzzled at this behaviour from her husband.

"Don't worry, Gin," Harry's breath was hot on her ear and it sent shivers down her spine. "Just go with it, OK?"

Ginny nodded, and the door clicked open. All was silent for a moment.

"SURPRISE!"

James and Lily's voices mingled with Harry's as they chorused the word, and Harry's hands were taken away from her eyes, as she took in the scene in front of her.

There was a banner that was hanging from the bed that read '_Vous pouvez battre le français_!' in big, red and silver letters, the colour of the English national colours. A long box lay in the middle of the bed, with the word 'Mummy' scrawled in kiddy writing, obviously guided, as the outline of the words were still visible.

Ginny laughed. "Is this for me?"

Harry looked at her. "No, it's for Ron,"

"Not it's not, Daddy," A small voice piped up. "It's for Mummy!" Lily clutched her stuffed toy unicorn closer to her chest.

"I know," he said, picking up Lily, "I was being sarcastic,"

"Was does sar-cash-ic mean?" she asked, cuddling into her Daddy.

"Never mind," Harry said, as Ginny was hugging Jamie.

"Thank you! What does the banner mean?" Ginny pointed to the banner.

Harry looked sheepish. "It meant to say 'You can beat the French!', but the spell went wonky and it ended up spelling it in French instead. I can't reverse it, and I refuse to ask Hermione," he said.

Ginny laughed, she's never seen Harry turn so pink. "It's wonderful!" she said, bouncing up and down as she made her way to the bed, two pairs of hopeful emerald orbs followed her, looking at the package. Ginny noticed, and looked at the twins. "Do you two wanna help me open it?"

"YEAH!" the two chorused, and raced towards the bed, Lily a few seconds behind thanks to having to struggle out of her Daddy's arms first. Harry followed her, laughing, and chucked himself onto the bed, making everyone on it bounce and giggle.

Ginny, Lily and Jamie pulled of the wrapping paper, to reveal a long, rectangular box. Ginny looked at it in puzzlement, before opening it. She gasped, shut the box, and opened it again before shutting it once more, and then launched herself at Harry. "You did not!" she said, hugging him fiercely.

"Yeah, I did."

"A Firebolt II? As in _the _best broom ever made?"

Harry smiled. "They," he gestured to the two inanely grinning four-year-olds sitting on the bed, "helped me pick it out. Obviously. Only our kids would know which broomstick had the most speed. And, it's made for Chasers, apparently," he said, holding her around the waist and she sat in between his legs on the bed.

"Do you like it, Mummy?" Jamie asked, his confidence from earlier gone as he looked apprehensively at his mother.

"I don't like it," Ginny deadpanned, and both her children gasped, and tears welled up in Lily's eyes. "I love it," she said, and all four of them laughed, and the kids hugged Ginny, and Harry found himself in the middle of a Potter family hug.

"Well, Mummy's made breakfast, so why don't we all go downstairs and eat?" Harry asked, and was met with 'Yes!' and 'I'm starving!', as both Jamie and Lily thundered down the stairs.

"Thank you," Ginny said, giving Harry a deep kiss they have both been craving all morning.

"No problem, if that's my thanks," Harry said, and stood up, pulling Ginny to her feet. "Feel like being childish to chase away the nerves?"

Ginny raised one eyebrow at him. "What do you have in mind?"

Harry and Ginny descended downstairs, Ginny riding on Harry's back as he twirled her around, both laughing. Lily and James caught sight of them, and both looked at them, as if to ask why their parents were acting like kids.

Harry set Ginny down, who was still laughing. "You guys ready to get ready for some Quidditch?"

"YES!" The whole family chorused, and chaos once again resumed in the Potter household.

--

Later, when Ginny was in the changing tent getting ready for the game, she noticed something she hadn't earlier. She had been playing with the broom all morning, getting used to the speed all other specs of the broom. But she hadn't realised there was an engraving on the handle. Sitting down, she brought up the broom to meet her.

In the dark, it was hard to read, but she managed to catch in anyway.

_'To Mummy. Vous pouvez battre le français! Love you forever, Lily, Jamie and Harry.'_

The words melted her heart and she went out onto the pitch with a smile on her face and happiness in her heart.

Oh ... and they won the game.


End file.
